Lies and Deceptions
by MTVCCVC
Summary: Diana is angry and Bruce is on the recieving end of that. What could be the reason, or reasons for it?
1. Lies

A/N : This is the start of a story I've devised for the most part already, but actually putting it to paper seems to be harder to do, for some reason. In any case, if I see that the story is generating interest, I'll try to get put it together faster.

* * *

"Bruce Wayne!" the words reverberate throughout the Manor.

He was never anything but proud of his last name, but these last 2 and a half years, hearing it brought a chill up his spine. It usually meant _she_ was angry at him, and most of the time that didn't end very well for him. Who in their right mind would want to piss of Diana, Princess of the Amazons? Then again, people always said he was walking on the edge of sanity.

"The study!" he replies, after realizing how bad an idea it would be to hide from her when she's like this, particularly when she finally found him.

Not five seconds later, he hears the door of the room smack shut so strong he thought they might not open afterwards. Turning his head towards her, he notices a very displeased Wonder Woman. That image mostly sends a chilling fear down the recipient's entire body, but to him she was beautiful even when she was looking like she wanted to crush every bone in his body.

"So who is she, Bruce?" she barks at him, not hiding her anger.

"Who is who?" he replies, with obvious confusion.

"The woman you're cheating on me with!"

"What?" his surprised response doesn't throw her of. He can hardly believe what he's hearing. Why would she assume he was cheating on her? „Where would you get that idea?"

"Have you even noticed the way you've been behaving around me, Bruce? Do you think I'm that ignorant? Whenever and wherever I touch you, you tense up. We haven't had sex in two weeks. For that matter, you haven't even taken your shirt of in front of me. In fact, you haven't even hugged me properly, if at all lately! So what am I supposed to think, Bruce?" With every sentence she spoke she moved a step closer to him, the last word she said accompanied with a less than gentle shove into his right shoulder.

He grunts through clenched teeth, grabbing his shoulder. Of all the places she could have hit him, she had to hit him right there? He felt a moist sensation in his palm. 'Just great'

Her eyes expressed her concern at his reaction, but conveyed that she isn't letting go of her anger. What is this? He can take much harder strikes than that.

"We'll continue this conversation later" he tells her through gritted teeth and makes his way towards the door.

"No we are not. Bruce, get back here and answer me!"

"I said later!" he barked just as he grabbed the handle, opened the door and slammed it behind him.

'Why that arrogant, infuriating ...' she thinks to herself as she starts going after him, but when she grabs the handle, her hand slips.

"Blood?" she gasps, with a surprised and concerned expression on her face. „Bruce, what have you done to yourself this time?"


	2. Deceptions

That she hadn't stormed out after him surprised him a little, but at least it bought him time to get to the Cave and take care of his injury. Not that that'd be much of an obstacle. Even if he locked the entrance door down, she could just rip it out if she wanted to. He'll have to be fast.

Well, she ripped the scar open, but at least by now it's healed enough to not need suturing. A sterile gauze and some bandages will do. All the other wounds have closed up fine by now and they probably wouldn't open if he got hit. Even by her. But they are still very visible. It'll probably take another week before he can take his shirt of in front of her. If she sees them now she'll want to know how he got them and if she did find out she'd probably be worried, but more than worried, she'd be seriously pissed off at him for not telling her.

He kept it a secret from her and Alfred not to worry them, but also to avoid an argument with her. The last time he was more seriously injured on patrol and told her about it, it ended in hours of convincing her he didn't need her to go on patrol with him. He did teach her a lot so she could help him out every now and then and be safer on her own missions, but he didn't want her to go on patrol with him on a daily basis. Bad enough he was risking his neck, he didn't need to worry about her all the time as well and there was the nature of Gotham itself. Gotham corrupts. He's one of the best examples. He may stand for justice and the law, but his methods are far from exemplary behavior. The purer the soul, the easier it is corrupted. He won't let it corrupt her, one of the very few pure things in his entire life.

"Alfred, what can you tell me about this?" she asked the elderly gentleman raising her hand to show the blood that covered her left palm.

The Englishman was struck astonished. "Has Master Bruce been on patrol a little earlier today?"

"You mean, you don't know anything about this?" That surprised Diana.

"I'm afraid I don't, Miss."

"So he didn't tell you either?"

"No, Miss Diana. I've no idea what's going on."

"What is he hiding?" and with those words she stormed towards the Cave leaving Alfred no less confused about what was going on.

He heard the Cave entrance open and was sure she was coming down. He opened a few files on the computer and went to change into his outfit. The suit will provide adequate pressure on the bandages to stop the bleeding and it'll be easier to convince her he was preparing for patrol that way, even though it was well before the time he usually started patrolling.

She came down and looked around. She saw him exiting the suit room, putting on his cape.

"Going on patrol so soon, Bruce?" she asked him, in no better demeanor than before.

"Not yet."

"Good. Otherwise I might think you were trying to hide from me." That was a bit more mean-spirited than she intended.

"If I was trying to hide from you, we'd hardly be having this conversation right now. Wouldn't you agree?" he tried to turn things around a bit.

"Speaking of conversations, we haven't finished our last one." That was not the direction he wanted to turn it in though.

"I've work to do. I told you we'd continue that conversation later."

Diana was starting to lose patience. "What work would that be?"

"I need to review my data on last night's patrol. I've interrupted a big drug deal and need to see what connections I can find that I might have missed."

"As if something could actually get passed you" she scoffed at him. "What is this video file here? You didn't have any video files in your work directories that I remember."

"I installed a small camera in my cowl. Right here" he pointed between his brows with his finger, even though he didn't have the cowl on. "It records almost everything I see while out on patrol. I had installed it because 2 months ago someone threw a flashbang grenade at me trying to get away. This camera has a light filtering feature that adjusts to difference in light so that even if I'm blinded I can see the footage later and see what I might have missed. The camera transfers the data through a satellite link directly to the computer here in the Cave that decrypts and saves the data."

"Handy" Diana sounded unimpressed as well as no less displeased. "Now before you stall any further…"

"_To all units. Large scale shootout has been reported in the warehouse district. All available units to that location_" the police radio transmission monitor interrupted her.

"Work calls" she said, by no means pleased at his second escape today.

"True. After I help with that I'm going to start patrolling."

"Does that mean you're going to finish tonight's patrol earlier as well?"

"We'll see" he answered her and not long after was gone, leaving her alone and no less angry for not finding out what he was hiding from her.

But maybe there was a way she could find out…


	3. Revelation

It took her a while to find the files. He hid them fairly well. He started acting oddly about 2 weeks ago and since he had that camera installed 2 months ago she was sure he'd have the video here somewhere. He never deleted anything.

There. Now let's see just what happened that night. She scrolled through the first few hours of mundane patrol until she finally saw something that looked promising. She saw Batman chasing the Joker, pretty much through Batman's eyes.

_The chase takes them to a construction site. He easily dodges Jokers gimmicks, not few of which exploded behind him moments afterwards. Suddenly, the Joker jumps down and Batman follows. Unfortunately, the floor breaks underneath him and he ends up falling through several floors until he finally hits sturdier concrete. The slam against the concrete is accompanied with a sharp and very painful sting in his shoulder. Turning his view towards his shoulder he sees that it had been pierced by a long piece of metal. Quickly he assesses to his relief that it pierced him just under the shoulder socket and didn't shatter the said joint, but as it wasn't bleeding vigorously, it had also missed the axillary artery._

_Before he had finished assessing his injuries, the Joker could be heard laughing towards him from several floors up: "You really should watch that first step Batsy. Well... Gotta run." With that boast the Joker apparently went his way, while Bruce returned to seeing how he was going to get out of this situation._

_"That wasn't very nice of me now was it, Bats" the Joker reappears on the ledge he had stood just moments ago. "I can't just leave you alone like that. Well, actually I can, but at least I can leave you with something to play with... Hehehahaha!" the Joker exclaims as he drops a grenade down towards him and makes off._

_While the grenade was falling his body was flooded with so much adrenalin, seconds felt like minutes. Luckily he had experienced this state before and knew how to use it to his advantage. He kicks the grenade somewhere to the right and is showered in shrapnel, debris and dust as it explodes. But at least he is alive._

_When the dust finally settles, he can see where all that stinging pain is coming from. He has various pieces of metal, concrete and wood sticking in him like needles in a pin-cushion. Thanks to the Kevlar and the special armor coating of his suit though none are deep enough to cause serious injury._

_He finally manages to get up, the metal shard in his shoulder he keeps in. Taking it out is going to require caution not to do more damage than was already done. The rest will be easier to deal with, but he needed to get to the cave. He makes his way to the Batmobile, puts it on autopilot so he wouldn't strain himself too much, takes some medications he had there to steady his condition and starts tending to the smaller injuries on the way back._

_This is not just another injury. This is one of the worst ever. They don't need to see it. Either of them. _

_He presses a few buttons and calls Alfred._

_"Alfred I'm coming home."_

_"Will you need anything, sir?"_

_"No. It was a slow night. Just a run in with Joker and he got away. I'll need to do some work when I come back, so just leave me a cup of coffee and go to bed. Where's Diana?"_

_"Sleeping, sir. Should I wake her?"_

_"No, Alfred. Let her sleep. At least one of us should."_

_"Very well, sir."_

_Alfred had a feeling that something was wrong, but he wouldn't press the issue._

She couldn't believe what she just saw. Her eyes watered with tears as she imagined what pain he must have been in seeing his injuries. Her anger rose up again quickly though, when she remembered just how she found out about his injury. Why did he not tell her? Why did he continue to go on patrols with such a grievous injury?

He arrived from patrol at the usual time. He didn't know what to expect. Diana wasn't exactly in the best of moods when he left. She was probably going to want to continue the conversation they had started earlier. He knew his behavior would probably alert her that something was wrong, but he never thought she'd assume he was cheating on her. He couldn't help his body tensing up when she touched him. Those injuries were painful and definitely not what he wanted her to see. That meant he couldn't take his shirt of in front of her. Sex was also out of the question. He figured she'd ask less questions to no sex at all rather than if he requested to be clothed during. Later he noticed it would be even harder than he thought. He couldn't even hug her properly. Pretty much anything he did hurt hellishly.

Still all that pain would be nothing compared to what she'd do to him if she found out. He has to think of some way to get out of it. He was fully expecting her to be waiting for him in his seat next to the computer. He was surprised that that wasn't the case, but he didn't know whether he should be relieved or more worried because of it.

When he entered their bedroom he found her asleep on the bed. He proceeded to the bathroom and prepared himself for bed. The wound on his shoulder had healed up fine and was no longer bleeding. He threw the bandages away and put on his entire pyjamas, something he rarely did, but had to lately, much to his wife's dismay. At least in a week he won't have to do so anymore.

When he finally laid down to bed, he felt the urge to lean himself on his wife's back, putting his arms around her, but reminded of the pain it would cause, he soon gave up on the idea and closed his eyes.

Barely moments after he had closed his eyes, she jumped up, sat on him and pinned him to the bed. She ripped his shirt open and yelled: "Why didn't you tell me about this?"


	4. Conforntation

When he finally laid down to bed, he felt the urge to lean himself on his wife's back, but reminded of the pain it would cause, he soon gave up on the idea and closed his eyes.

Barely moments after he had closed his eyes, she jumped up, sat on him and pinned him to the bed. She ripped his shirt open and yelled: "Why didn't you tell me about this?"

She knows. She found the files. But he transferred them to a different directory, hid them and encrypted them. She can hack now? When did she learn that and who from? That's not so important at the moment. Diana doesn't look very pleased. If he isn't careful with his approach to the subject at hand, the consequences might not be pretty.

Seeing the wounds up close was worse than she expected. She could imagine what it was like from what she saw on the video files, but it still surprised her seeing them first hand. The ones on his chest were not quite healed up, but they didn't look like they'd open easily. The one on his shoulder however seems to have been ripped and closed recently. That's where she hit him. It's his own damn fault. He should have told her. Should have, but didn't. The only question is: Why?

"Well?" she barks at him angrily. "Answer me, Bruce! Why didn't you tell me about this?" she asks him once more, poking him not so gently into one of his wounds. Seeing him flinch from pain, she pulled her finger back in reaction, but she was no less angry at him.

"Well…" finally he speaks. "I was putting off telling you…"

"And?"

"I succeeded" he finishes his sentence, but before he could smirk, he grunts and clenches his teeth at the searing pain that stabbed his shoulder.

"This is the wrong time to start working on your sense of humor, Bruce Wayne. Tell me the truth! NOW!" Diana yells at him as her thumb presses on his shoulder wound.

"Alright! I'll tell you!" Bruce replies and sighs in relaxation as she releases his shoulder.

"I didn't want to worry you" he answered sincerely, but saw that this didn't ease her disposition one bit.

"Worry me? You're shoulder was skewered and you have Gods know how many wounds from various kinds of shrapnel from a grenade exploding next to you! I think I have all the right to be worried, Bruce!" she tells him, only the slightest bit less angry at him.

"The injuries weren't life threatening and there's nothing you could do about them. There was no reason to tell you or Alfred and worry you about something you couldn't do anything about."

"Not life threatening? You kept patrolling with those injuries. Even when they were still fresh. Was that not life threatening, Bruce?" she asks him, anger and concern mixing in her voice.

"No. I've fought injured before. It just means I have to rely more on my gadgets and less on my fists. Granted, this injury was worse than most others, but it still didn't hinder me from doing my duty."

"You could have also relied on _me_, Bruce! I could have taken over Gotham while you healed up properly."

"No. I could still fight. There was no need to put you at risk."

"You arrogant, pigheaded hypocrite! If you could, you'd solve everyone's problems yourself, but nothing could make you accept someone else's help. Heavens forbid that you'd ask for it. I tell you all my problems and troubles, but you won't tell me a blessed thing. You just keep it all to yourself. Why won't you let me help you? A one-sided relationship can't work, Bruce, and we're married now."

"There's no need for you to suffer my mistakes and troubles."

"But it's OK for you to suffer mine?"

"It's not like that. It's different."

"Different how?"

"I want you to be happy! That means we solve your problems and don't burden you with mine."

"I want you to be happy, too. So why does the same rule not apply to you as well?"

"Because it…" Bruce cuts himself of. He had no answer to that question. He growls something under his voice that even he could barely understand.

"Because it what?"

"What do you want from me, Diana?" Bruce replies to her question, to which he didn't really have an answer to.

"I want you to trust me, Bruce!"

"I do trust you! I thought you'd have noticed that by now. What about you trusting me? How did you get the idea that I was cheating on you in your head?"

"I wouldn't have assumed it had you trusted me enough to _not_ keep this a secret from me!"

"It's not a question of trust! I told you already why I kept it a secret."

"Fine!" Diana stopped the exchange of shouts. "Then we'll settle it this way! From now on you won't keep anymore secrets from me, no matter what your intention. Understood?"

"Alright! Are we done with this now?" Bruce felt downright exhausted after all of that. He had even forgotten the pain from his wounds up until Diana dismounted from him not exactly gently.

"We're done with yelling at each other, yes" she says. "But you've still got to make it up to me."

"By doing what, exactly?" he demands.

"Getting undressed."

He sits up and stares at her. "Come again?"

"I haven't come once in the past two weeks - you've been denying me my marital rights for all that time. You're going to make it up to me."

Bruce was baffled. "How do you move from complete fury to wanting to make love?"

"Who says I'm not _still_ completely furious? Now hurry up" she orders.

"You can't be serious…"

He didn't even have time to inhale after that sentence. Diana jumped up, kissed him furiously and pulled him down lying on the bed and her. She'd broke no more arguments.

He didn't forget what it was like having her in his embrace, feeling her skin, her lips, her tongue. Still, the feeling was almost like the first time they had each other. He missed the feel of her. He missed her. It didn't take long for him to obey her order and undress himself and her.

…

After they finished the exhaustive session, they both lied down on the bed. Diana had a small satisfied smirk on her lips. Bruce knew why. It wasn't because of what they just did. Well, not entirely. Mostly it was because she got exactly what she wanted. She loved being the dominant one in the relationship every now and then. At least it settled her anger a bit. He made a mental note about that. He'd have to watch out for what kind of mood Diana is in the next time they are to get indelicate with each other. She's very demanding when she's angry.

Making sure she was asleep, he silently exhaled: "What did I get myself into when I married you?"

"As if you didn't know. Now go to sleep…" She surprised him with the sly reply. She's getting good at fooling him and that wasn't quite so good for him, even if he was a little proud of her.

What surprised him more was that Diana turned over towards him, leaned on him, put her head on his uninjured shoulder and her arm across his chest. The wounds under her arm started stinging him. He couldn't help but wonder whether she forgot or remembered that he was wounded?

He decided to ignore it. It didn't hurt that much anymore and he could fall asleep. He'd done so in worse pain. He put his arm around Diana and closed his eyes.


End file.
